Bunpo vs Japanese Basic
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Bunpo
Master multiple languages with this comprehensive learning app. It offers detailed grammar explanations, vocabulary building, and smart review systems to help you progress from beginner to advanced levels. Learn Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, German, and Chinese with interactive exercises and personalized study plans.
- Learn 6 languages
- Master grammar with detailed explanations
- Build vocabulary and kanji knowledge
- Spaced repetition for smart review
- Interactive quizzes and example sentences
- Offline learning for Spanish, French, German, Chinese
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Learn languages with Bunpo! Learn Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Italian, Portuguese, English and more! Master speaking, grammar, and vocabulary from beginner to advanced, trusted by over 5 million learners worldwide. From your first Hiragana あ to JLPT N1, from "annyeong" to a real Korean conversation, or any of our 8+ languages, Bunpo takes you from day one to fluency. ========= Why Bunpo works for language learning - Speak from day one: Start speaking from your very first lesson with advanced speech recognition technology. - 8+ languages, one app: Learn Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Italian, Portuguese, and English, and switch between them anytime without juggling multiple apps. - Grammar that makes sense: Detailed explanations in plain English, plus exercises that make it stick. - Smart review: A personalized study plan powered by spaced repetition (SRS) so you remember more, faster. - From the alphabet to advanced: Start with your very first character and build all the way to advanced grammar, whatever language you choose. Whether you're learning for travel, a higher grade, JLPT, a career boost, or just to feel confident in a new conversation, Bunpo's got your back. ========= Japanese Course - Master the Japanese alphabets (Hiragana & Katakana) so you can read menus, train signs, and even your favorite manga without guessing. - Learn Japanese grammar for every JLPT level (N5 to N1) with clear, no-nonsense explanations because "This is a pen" will only get you so far. - Build real-world Japanese vocabulary and kanji knowledge you can actually use in daily conversations, not just in textbooks. - Practice with 1,800+ Japanese example sentences and 8,000+ interactive quizzes designed to make new grammar and vocab stick. - Search any topic instantly in the Japanese grammar dictionary, perfect for "What does that mean again?" moments. - Review smarter, not harder, with a spaced repetition system (SRS) that reminds you before you forget. ========= Korean Course - Master the Korean alphabet (Hangul) with a guided chart, listening, and writing practice. - Build Korean vocabulary you'll actually use in everyday conversations. - Practice reading, writing, listening, and speaking so every skill grows together. ========= Spanish Course - Learn Spanish offline - Master Spanish grammar from A1 to B1 level - Spanish verb conjugation - Perfect your Spanish pronunciation ========= French Course - Learn French offline - Master French grammar from A1 to A2 level - French verb conjugation - Perfect your French pronunciation ========= German Course - Learn German offline - Master German grammar from A1 to C1 level - German verb conjugation - Perfect your German pronunciation ========= Chinese Course - Learn Chinese offline - Master Chinese vocabulary and phrases - Listen, speak, and write Chinese ========= Subscription pricing and terms Bunpo offers an auto-renewing monthly subscription and an auto-renewing yearly subscription to provide you with unlimited access to the Bunpo courses while you maintain an active subscription. These prices are for United States customers. Pricing in other countries may vary, and actual charges may be converted to your local currency depending on the country of residence. The subscription will automatically renew unless turned off in your iTunes Account Settings at least 24 hours before the current period ends. You can go to your iTunes Account settings to manage your subscription and turn off auto-renew. Your iTunes Account will be charged when the purchase is confirmed. Bunpo also offers a Forever subscription, which is paid for by a one-off upfront payment with unlimited access to the Bunpo courses forever. Privacy Policy and Terms of Use: https://bunpo.app/privacy.html Any feedback? Feel free to contact us at: iphone@bunpo.app
Japanese Basic
Learn basic Japanese vocabulary, characters, and phrases with this beginner-friendly app. It offers offline access, customizable pronunciation, and a red sheet function for effective memorization. Expand your learning with in-app purchases for additional words.
- Basic Japanese vocabulary and phrases
- Hiragana and Katakana study
- Offline access
- Customizable pronunciation and audio speed
- Red sheet memorization function
- Verb conjugation guide
- User vocabulary book
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This app is for learning Japanese in English. For beginners. The main content is vocabulary and characters, and small quizzes to test your skills are available. Three major features ■Simple and easy to use It is designed to be simple, with no unnecessary content or story elements. This makes it intuitive to use and allows you to quickly find the information you want. ■Available offline This app can be used even without an internet connection. For example, you can use it even if you have just arrived in Japan and do not have an internet connection yet. You can also check the pronunciation. ■Customizable You can choose from two voices for pronunciation: "female" (automatic) and "male" (local native speaker), and you can also change the audio playback speed. In the vocabulary book, you can adjust the display of Japanese to your liking, such as "kanji only," "hiragana only," or "both kanji and hiragana." It also has a red sheet function that is convenient for memorization. [Content details] * 488 basic Japanese vocabulary words Each word includes two example sentences. * 75 phrases From greetings to basic phrases such as "thank you" and "I'm sorry" * Japanese characters You can study "hiragana" and "katakana", as well as pronunciation and stroke order. * Random quiz You can check your vocabulary with multiple choice quizzes. * Verb conjugation This section helps you understand the conjugation of Japanese verbs, which can be particularly confusing. * Search function You can easily find words from the words in the app. Search results are available in both Japanese and English. * Favorites function You can save words you don't remember or are curious about in your favorites list. By compiling them in a list, you can help you overcome words you are weak at. You can also change the order or take multiple choice quizzes only from your favorites list. * User vocabulary book You can make notes of your own unique words in the app. Make notes of words you learn in your daily life. [Upgrade] Many more words can be added by in-app purchases. The added words can also be used in other functions such as multiple choice quizzes and favorites lists. Whether you're planning a trip to Japan, already live there, are studying abroad, or are just interested in Japanese, this app is easy for anyone to use. We hope it will be useful in your Japanese studies. Thank you.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Bunpo at 4.9 against Japanese Basic's 3.5. Bunpo also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 months). Japanese Basic's advantage is iOS requirement (12.1 vs 16.0). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Bunpo sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Japanese Basic sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Bunpo holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bunpo has 18K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Bunpo ships an update every 9 days, Japanese Basic every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and June 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Bunpo | Japanese Basic |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (18K ratings) — better | 3.5 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 72.5% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 18K — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 12.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 189 MB | 117 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Bunpo Language Learning | SHINGO MATSUO |
Customer experience
Bunpo
Japanese Basic
Bugs and requests
Bunpo
Reported bugs
4 issues- App crashes during lesson reviews
- Incorrect answers marked as wrong
- Text and keyboard issues on smaller screens
- Audio playback problems
Requested features
4 requests- Add landscape mode support for tablets
- Improve review options to revisit specific grammar points
- Expand vocabulary lessons and practice
- Add more languages beyond Japanese
Japanese Basic
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Bunpo
- Bunpo Plus Monthly2 variants$9.991 Month
- Bunpo Platinum Monthly7 Days trial$19.991 Month
- Bunpo Platinum Monthly$19.991 Month
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- Bunpo Plus Yearly$29.991 Year
- Bunpo Plus Yearly$39.991 Year
- Bunpo Platinum Yearly7 Days trial$79.991 Year
- Bunpo Platinum Yearly$79.991 Year
- Bunpo Plus Lifetime$39.99
- Bunpo Plus Lifetime$44.99
Japanese Basic
- Japanese Basic -Full Version-$3.99
Questions
Is Bunpo free?
Is Japanese Basic free?
Which has better reviews, Bunpo or Japanese Basic?
Do Bunpo or Japanese Basic have ads?
Which is updated more often, Bunpo or Japanese Basic?
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